The emerald city’s live music venues never fail to serve up a good set of choices on Friday nights, and tonight is no exception whether your destination is Capitol Hill, Ballard, Belltown or elsewhere.

Fujiya & Miyagi, Yuni in Taxco, Glitterbang @ Neumos | 1/27 | 9pm |  $13 (Get Tickets) | 21+

via Fujiya & Miyagi

Preview by Nikki Benson

At long last, downtempo experimentalists Fujiya & Miyagi are visiting Seattle, WA on tour supporting their 2011 release, Ventriloquizzing. Here’s a bit from the SSG Music album review that explains the concept of the aforementioned record:

Turning the art of ventriloquism into a verb, Fujiya & Miyagi have posed the question, “are we all just dummies being controlled by someone else? Who’s controlling whom?” Going as far as creating dummy doppelgangers to represent the members of the band, this band has made Ventriloquizzing a concept album that isn’t merely reserved for the ear.

Fujiya & Miyagi are paradoxically exciting. Whether they are playing around with delayed piano, synth keys, reverb drums, or challenging their listeners to pay keen attention to their vocal whispers, the effect of being with the band is chilling out. F&M venturing out on tour is causing their fans to hurry up and stop.

Here are a few reasons why you can’t miss Fujiya & Miyagi: One, they are from across the pond and don’t tour very often; two, their minimalist approach to songwriting could translate into a divine, psychedelic show; and three, aren’t you curious?

The Maldives, The Horde and the Harem, Elk & Boar @ The Tractor Tavern | 01/27 | 9pm | $10 (Get Tickets) | 21+ 

Poster from facebook

Preview by Kelly Alexander

At this point Seattle’s Maldives need no introduction; but if they did it would go something like this: Alt-country rock band The Maldives have built a strong fan-base and solid reputation for beautifully written songs and masterful live shows. A large band of up to 9 members they fit perfectly in the Tractor (although barley fitting them all on stage!) and could be the unofficial house band of the Tractor Tavern having played there so many times. Lead by musically hyperactive Jason Dodson (Sons of Warren Oats) if the band stopped making music tomorrow their place in Seattle music history has already been established.

The real celebration of the evening is the release of folk/rockers The Horde and the Harem’s first full length and timely titled A Long Midwinter. The band formed in 2009 but underwent member changes before current lineup was complete in early 2010, just in time to earn legions of fans after impressive shows at Folklife and Capitol Hill Block Party.  A solid touring schedule has helped develop their sound and this album reflects the results of their determination. Also playing is folk-soul band Elk and Boar, (sometimes known as Kirsten Wenlock & Travis Barker) who have had an amazing year, from a musical coming out party at The Best of the New showcase in October of 2010 to playing Doe Bay Festival locally and South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin. This show will sell out so if you don’t win tickets from us, don’t wait.

Doomtree No Kings Tour 2012 and special guests at The Crocodile | 01/27 | 8pm | $18 (Get Tickets) | 21+

Photo courtesy of Doomtree Records

Preview by Daniel Ahrendt

Back in November of 2010, the whole of the Minneapolis hip-hop crew known as Doomtree came to Neumos and made a cold Monday night feel like heaven. On the 27th, all members will be present at The Crocodile as a part of the No Kings tour celebrating their brand new album of the same name. The crew is comprised of seven members, all of which perform often and to the delight of fans from one side of the U.S to the other. Seeing Dessa, POS, Mike Mictlan, Sims, Cecil Otter, Lazer Beak, and Paper Tiger on stage together is a hip-hop experience of the highest positive caliber. The crew has a chemistry only a group of long time friends can have, pushing their mid-west hip-hop meld past exciting to truly exceptional. If you attend, and you should, you will leave The Crocodile on the assuredly frigid January night well heated.

Below is a two minute promotional video for 2011′s seven day Doomtree Blowout held at the First Avenue Mainroom. The first five days were curated by a rapper of the crew and brought out acts such as Brother Ali, One Be Lo, and Marijuana Deathsquads. The whole week was capped off with two nights featuring the whole crew. Just search a bit more and you’ll find plenty of cellphone videos illustrating just how fantastic this whole event was. Also below is a short clip documenting how the members picked which day of the week would be theirs.

Sassparilla , Casey Neill & The Norway Rats, Renegade String Band @ The High Dive | 1/27 | 9:30pm |  $6/8 (Get Tickets) | 21+

Photo via sassparilla.com

Sassparilla is a high-energy band from Portland who cite such luminaries as Old Crow Medicine Show, The Black Keys, Tom Waits, R.L. Burnside, and The Devil Makes Three as their influences. Their songs shift between various combinations of rootsy genres. But regardless of whether they are emphasizing the old-time sound of vocal harmonizing accompanied by accordion and washboard bass or blasting out the blues on cigar box guitar, their live set is exhilarating and an excited rowdy crowd is a given.

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